Advice needed please - new router, homeplugs or wifi 6

[123mg]

Hi all,

I hope someone could please give me some advice? Currently on Sky Gigafast BB (with the SR203 router I believe) with one Wifi booster. I was really interested in Wifi Max but as we are Sky Q users that isn't an option currently. Just wondering if we can get better performance on the Sky Q minis (which are sometimes a little flakey) and our broadband performance as a whole by either getting a new 3rd party (Wifi 6) router, some homeplugs/Wifi 6 extenders, or something else?

Setup is Sky Q Silver is connected directly to the router by ethernet, as is one of the minis. Other 2 minis are connected by wifi. Got a home phone connected to the router but happy to lose that as we don't use it. Have considered getting homeplugs to connect the other 2 minis but that wouldn't give us better overall broadband performance (don't feel we are getting anything like the performance we should from a Gigabit service) and have considered getting a 3rd party Wifi 6 router but just wondering how the Wifi connected mini boxes would behave with that? Don't particularly want to spend the earth if it can be avoided.

Any sensible suggestions or advice would be gratefully recieved please. Thanks.

[Chrisee]

@123mg if you have 3 Q boxes replacing the router/wifi with any third party kit will involve sorting your 2 Q minis which can only connect by wifinto Sky kit. When I had a similar set up I used powerline adapters to reinforce the backhaul from the minis to the hub. This improved both the Q box's TV performance but imptoves its wifi hot spots.

The wifi is of course limited to Wifi5 but that potentially can be over 500Mb/s assuming the powerline adaters can deliver that speed. With powerline only use wall sockets and expect to get 20 to 40% of the rated performance. 

[123mg]

I was thinking that if I did switch out the router I'd end up having to connect the 2 other minis via powerlines? I was also looking at powerlines with Wifi 6 and disabling the router wifi?

[Chrisee]

@123mg thst is an alternate approach but is likely to be a lot more expensive. Before opting for that do check which of your devices support wifi6 rather than just wifi5 and of course what if any applications you use will benefit from the extra speed.